


The Nuances of Family

by mellow_fellow



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Coming Out, Divorce, Future Fic, Homophobia, Kid Fic, Light Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, More tags to be added, Mostly Fluff, Parenthood, Post-Timeskip, Rated T for Tendou’s foul mouth, dont worry it’s not that bad, its not bad though i think its like 8-10 lines, toxic relatives, ushijima and his wife are just not in love, ushijima is a good dad, your honor they are in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:55:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26827723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mellow_fellow/pseuds/mellow_fellow
Summary: Ushijima Rin does not live a bad life. He is relatively well off financially, he does well in school, and he has a family. To the outside eye, Rin looks like he has the perfect life.And he does...To an extent.Ushijima is stuck in a loveless marriage to a woman who wants nothing to do with him or their son. Tendou wishes he could do more, and Ushijima wishes they could be together. Until one fateful day...
Relationships: Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 10
Kudos: 74





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all it’s been a hot second.
> 
> I love Tendou, like an extreme amount.
> 
> And Ushiten deserves to be happy :)
> 
> Enjoy!!

Ushijima Rin does not live a bad life. He is relatively well off financially, he does well in school, and he has a family. To the outside eye, Rin looks like he has the perfect life.

And he does...

To an extent.

Family is where the perfection starts to dissolve. Rin has a mother and a father, but they are different.

Even though he is only 8, he can see that his parents do not love each other. His mother, Ushijima Aiko, cries when she thinks no one can see her, and Rin knows that she probably didn’t want children. His father, Ushijima Wakatoshi, is stoic, dependable, but his eyes hold no happiness. But at least his father tries.

They play volleyball together in the back yard when his father gets home. Rin sometimes sees him smile when they do this, a hint of emotion on his usually blank face. Rin smiles too, excited to see his father happy. But eventually, it gets too dark, and Aiko calls them inside for dinner, face a smiling mask.

But sometimes, his father’s mask breaks entirely.

A knock on the door startles Rin, causing him to flinch and knock over the block tower he had been building.

His mother wisps through the living room to the front door, barely sparing Rin a glance. She opened the door, and Rin perks up at the voice of a familiar man.

“Hey kiddo! It’s your favorite uncle!!” Rin jumps to his feet, scrambling to the genkan. 

“Uncle Tendou!!” He exclaims, socks skidding on the wooden floors. Tendou holds his arms out and Rin jumps right into them. Tendou spins Rin around, causing him to giggle. 

“Oh my god kid look how big you’ve gotten! How long has it been since I last saw you? It has to be months, years even,” Tendou asks dramatically.

“You saw me last week, Uncle Tendou!” Rin giggles. 

“And you’ve grown this much? Wow you’re gonna end up like your dad at this rate,” Tendou states. Rin grins. Heavy footsteps interrupt their reunion.

“Tendou?” Rin’s father pokes his head through the door, brows raised.

“Wakatoshi-kun! How’ve you been?” Tendou asks. Rin whips his head around to see his father. This was his favorite part.

His father smiled. A real, actual smile, teeth and everything. He looked happy. 

He only does that when Uncle Tendou visits.

“I’ve been well, thank you. Would you like some tea?” His father asks.

“Tea would be great, thanks,” Uncle Tendou carefully sets Rin down, and follows Rin’s father into the kitchen.

“Come on, Rin. Let’s go clean up the table,” Rin’s mother says, gently taking his hand. Rin looks up at her and sees a hint of emotion in her empty eyes. He didn’t know what though, it was gone too quick. They walk to the sitting room and pick up all the blocks that had fallen earlier. Rin places them in their specified bin while his mother tidied up the couch and chairs. His father and Uncle Tendou emerge from the kitchen, his father holding a tray with cups of tea on it while Uncle Tendou animatedly tells him a story from Paris.

“And this lady wanted me to make this entire sculpture in two days!! Do you know what kind of ridiculous timeline that is??” Uncle Tendou exclaims.

“That seems unrealistic,” Rin’s father replies, a small smile still on his lips.

“Right??” Uncle Tendou says as they all sit. “She was such a bit-

“Language, Tendou-san” Rin’s mother scolds.

Uncle Tendou’s eyes widen, and he slaps a hand over his mouth.

“Whoops! I am so sorry!” Uncle Tendou says.

“It’s fine,” Rin’s father waves off. Uncle Tendou leans over to Rin.

“Never repeat any words that come out of my mouth,” he whispers behind his hand. Rin nods and gives him a thumbs up.

“This is why you’re my favorite nephew,” Uncle Tendou says, straightening. Rin giggles.

“I’m your only nephew,” Rin says, grinning.

“You’re still my favorite,” he winked. 

“Speaking of nephews, how is your sister, Tendou-san?” Rin’s mother asks from where she was seated across from them, next to Rin’s father in the other couch. They were separated by the table with the tea. 

“Ah, she’s doing well! She recently got engaged to her boyfriend, and I’m really happy for her,” Uncle Tendou responds.

“Oh that’s exciting. When’s the wedding?” She asks.

“In the spring.”

“How nice,” she picks up her tea from the table. “Speaking of engagements, do you have your eye on someone, Tendou-san?”

Uncle Tendou freezes, fingers stilling against his cup. He hesitates in giving his answer. “No.”

Rin’s mother nods. “Any plans to get married?”

“Not at the moment. I’m focused on my job,” Uncle Tendou says through clenched teeth, smile wooden. Even though Rin is young, he can still feel the tension in the air. So, he tuns on Uncle Tendou’s sleeve.

“What’s Paris like?” He asks. Uncle Tendou visibly relaxes.

“It’s very pretty! There are a lot of people, just like Tokyo, but there aren’t nearly as many skyscrapers as there are in Tokyo. Everything is in French, but it’s relatively easy to get around,” Uncle Tendou launches into an in depth description of Paris.

“Wow! Do you speak French, Uncle Tendou?” Rin asks.

“Enough to get by,” he shrugs.

“Can you say something in French?” Rin asks, bouncing in his seat.

“Sure thing! Ummmm, what should I say...” he trailed off, thinking. “Ah! I know!  Wakatoshi est grand.”

“What does that mean??” Rin asks.

“It means, ‘Wakatoshi is tall!’” Rin’s father chuckles at that. They continue to chat in to the night, tea long gone. Rin’s mother stood, gathering the cups onto the tray.

“It’s getting late, I should go to bed,” she says. 

“Okay, Goodnight Aiko,” Rin’s father says, reaching out to help her with the cups. “I’ll take these to the kitchen, then get Rin to bed.” Rin frowned at that.

“I’m not tired though!” He exclaims. Uncle Tendou chuckles.

“You will be, trust me. Sleep while you can, kiddo,” he says, standing. He lifts Rin up into his arms, following Rin’s father into the kitchen. Rin’s mother was already upstairs. 

“Would you like to stay the night, Satori?” Rin’s dad asks, placing the cups in the sink. He only called Uncle Tendou by his first name when Rin’s mother wasn’t in the room. Rin didn’t say anything.

“Ah, I wouldn’t want to impose. Plus my sister is expecting me back at her place tonight,” Uncle Tendou replies. His voice was tinged with sadness.

“Okay,” Rin’s dad says. Rin swears his voice had been disappointed. “I’ll put Rin to bed and then walk you to the station.”

“Oh, nonsense! I’ll help put Rin to bed too,” Uncle Tendou hoisted Rin higher on his hip. “I’m not going to be able to lift you for much longer if you keep growing like this, kiddo.” He says to Rin. They all walk upstairs, and they help Rin get ready for bed. After finally getting Rin under the covers, the two men go back downstairs, leaving Rin alone in his dark room. After a few minutes of fidgeting under his blanket, Rin throws it off and quietly creeps downstairs for a glass of water, hugging his stuffed dog tight to his chest. As he approaches the sitting room, he hears low voices.

Rin stops at the bottom of the stairs, and carefully peeks around the corner of the wall into the sitting room. Rin’s dad and Uncle Tendou were standing in the middle of the sitting room, seemingly having a very important conversation.

“I miss you, Toshi,” Uncle Tendou says, voice quiet and sad.

“I miss you too, Satori. I’m sorry it had to end up this way,” Rin’s dad replies.

“Why don’t you just leave?” Uncle Tendou asks.

“You know why, Satori. Our families would disown us, and it’s not even legal here.”

Uncle Tendou reaches out and tables Rin’s fathers hand, nimble fingers spinning the golden wedding band on his ring finger. “Come to France with me.” His voice was quiet, like he was afraid of what the answer would be.

“I can’t do that to Rin. He has a life here, friends, school, and I can’t uproot that. This is for him.” Rin’s dad raises Uncle Tendou’s hand to his lips and kisses it gently, making Rin’s eyes go wide. His father didn’t show that much affection to his mother, so why was he doing it to Uncle Tendou?

Uncle Tendou sighs, snaking his arms around Rin’s fathers waist and dropping his head to his shoulder. Rin’s father wraps his arms around Uncle Tendou and pulls him close, resting his chin on the top of his buzzed head. 

“I just wish we could,” Uncle Tendou whispers it so quietly, Rin almost doesn’t catch it.

“Me too,” Rin’s father replies. They were silent for a minute, but neither of them made a move to separate from their hug. 

“ Je t'aime, ” Uncle Tendou whispers. Rin’s father lets out a huff of air through his nose, closing his eyes. A small, sad smile on his lips.

“I love you too,” he says. Rin’s eyes shot impossible wider. It all made sense now. His revelation makes him drop his stuffed dog on the ground, the hard plastic nose clacking against the wooden floor. His father and Uncle Tendou jerk apart, eyes zeroing in on Rin.

“I um, I want water,” Rin says weakly, eyes still blown wide. They all continue to stare at each other. Uncle Tendou is the first to break free.

“Sure kid. Come on, I’ll get you some,” he walks over and takes Rin’s hand, then leads him to the kitchen. He lifts Rin on to the counter, grabbing a cup from the cabinet and filling it with water.

“Do you really love Dad?” Rin asks. Uncle Tendou freezes, hand hovering over the sink.

“Yes. I do. I love your father very much,” he says, a sad smile spreading across his lips.

“Then why don’t you get married?” Rin asks. Uncle Tendou hands the cup to Rin, and leans back against the counter across from Rin. Rin drinks his water patiently.

“I wish we could, but people don’t approve of our love, because we are two men and not a man and a woman,” Uncle Tendou explains. Rin scowls.

“That’s not very fair,” he says.

Uncle Tendou sighs, taking the now empty cup from Rin’s hands and placing it in the sink. “No, it really isn’t.” He then carries Rin back upstairs, and tucks him in again.

“Goodnight, Uncle Tendou,” Rin says. Uncle Tendou smiles back down at him.

“Goodnight, Rin,” he turns to leave.

“I love you,” Rin whispers. Uncle Tendou stops at the door, and turns to face Rin. He was smiling.

“I love you too, kiddo.” He then walks out of Rin’s room, once again leaving him alone. But Rin wasn’t antsy this time. He was content, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello!
> 
> I think this thing is gonna be about 4 chapters?? Idk though it might just be 3
> 
> We’ll see how it goes lmao

-three weeks later-

Rin was sitting the the living room with his dad, playing with his blocks again, this time attempting to build a house. His father laid on one of the couches, flipping through volleyball strategies while the news drones on in the background.

Rin wasn’t even paying attention until he hearda loud thunk from where his father was lying. He looked over and saw that his father was scrambling for the remote. He looked shocked, but also hopeful.

“Dad?” Rin asks, putting down the block he had been holding. His father didn’t answer, eyes locked on the TV. Rin looked up at the news, and began to listen.

“Now for the news you have all been waiting for. During these past months, we’ve all been waiting on the news of the new law regarding same-sex marriage. We have just been informed that the law was passed. Same-sex marriage is now legan in Japan. This is exciting news for Japan’s LGBT+ community, and we have brought in a gay man, whose identity will be kept secret for safety reasons, for his thoughts on the law.” The reported says. Rin’s father pauses the TV, eyes wide. 

Suddenly, he let out a joyous laugh. He was grinning so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes. Or maybe it wasn’t just the grinning that was doing that. 

He jumped up from the couch, laughing and saying “Yes!” Over and over again.

“What’s that, Dad?” Rin asks. His father doesn’t answer, instead, he scoops Rin up from the floor and spins him around the living room, making Rin laugh with him.

“It means that two men and two women can get married just like a man and a woman can, Rin,” his father answers, still smiling, tears still falling from his eyes.

“Does that mean that you can marry Uncle Tendou?” Rin asks excitedly. His father nods, smiling.

“Yes, it means I can get married to Uncle Tendou.” His father gasped, shifting Rin to one hip as he dug in his pocket with his free hand.

“I need to call him,” Rin’s father quickly dialed Uncle Tendou’s number, then put the phone on speaker. It rung three times before the line picked up.

“‘Toshi? What’s going on, it’s like, 5 am here,” Uncle Tendou’s groggy voice came from the speakers.

“It’s legal,” is all Rin’s father says. Uncle Tendou is silent for a minute.

“Are you serious?” He says, disbelief filling his voice. But also hope.

“It was just on the news, the law passed, Satori!” Rin’s father exclaims.

“HOLY SHIT!” Uncle Tendou shouts. Rin’s father winces slightly.

“Rin’s here too,” he says, chuckling.

“Ah, shit. Wait! Rin! Don’t repeat the words that come out of my mouth!” Uncle Tendou orders.

“I won’t, Uncle Tendou!” Rin replies.

“Good. This is why you’re my favorite nephew,” Uncle Tendou says, laughing a bit. Then, Rin and his father both heard the door open at the same time.

“I’m home,” Rin’s mother says into the house.

“I gotta go, I’ll call you back later,” Rin’s dad says into the phone.

“Okay. Love you, ‘Toshi !” Uncle Tendou replies cheerfully. Rin’s dad smiled.

“Love you too,” he then hangs up the phone, and turns to the sitting room entrance, where Rin’s mother has just appeared.

“Aiko. I want a divorce,” Rin’s father says. His face was blank again, even though the tear tracks from earlier were still visible. Rin’s mother froze. Her eyes glance up to the TV, where the headline is still on display. She frowns.

“Why?” She asks, even though she probably already knows the reason. Rin’s father tenses.

“Because I do not love you. I cannot ever love you, because I am in love with a man. And I want a divorce,” Rin’s father states. His mother clenches her fist around the plastic grocery bag in her hand. She takes a deep breath, in, then out, slowly.

“Okay,” she breaths. Rin’s father relaxes, sagging like he was cut loose from strings. 

“Okay,” he says back. They say nothing else. Rin’s mother glides into the kitchen to but the groceries away, and Rin’s father sets him down.

“I need to make a phone call, I’ll be right back, Rin,” Rin’s father then steps outside onto the back porch, leaving Rin alone in the living room, news still paused on the headline. Rin begins to build again, wooden blocks making a soft clack every time he stacked them together.

-Ushijima POV-

Wakatoshi steps out onto the back porch, phone ringing. He anxiously taps his fingers against the railing, eyes roving over the familiar scape of green grass. 

“Hello?” A voice says, line finally picking up.

“Hi, Dad,” Wakatoshi says. He swallows, heart pounding. He wasn’t used to this, being nervous.

“Wakatoshi! How are you?” His dad asks.

“I’m well. How are you?” 

“Oh you know, the usual. I’m not getting any younger,” he chuckles. “Any reason for calling me or did you just want to say hi?”

He takes a deep breath. “I do have a reason for calling you.”

“Oh? What’s so important that it couldn’t wait until you visit me?”

Wakatoshi hesitates. His fingers still on the railing, the only sound is the breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. “Dad. I am in love with a man.” 

There is silence on the other side of the line. Wakatoshi’s shoulders are tense, his posture rigid. With every second of silence his heart rate increases.

Suddenly, a light chuckle breaks through the silence, slightly tinny through the speakers.

“Oh Wakatoshi, that’s okay. You’re still my son, and I still love you.” He sags over the porch railing, arms folded on the wood, and his head resting on them. Tears fall down his face.

“Thank you, Dad,” he sniffs, voice thick. “The law passed today, legalizing gay marriage. I thought it would be a good time to tell you.”

“That’s great, Wakatoshi! Now, may I ask who the man is that stole the heart of my son?” 

Wakatoshi chuckles. “You already do. It’s Tendou Satori.”

“I approve! You have my blessing to marry him,” Wakatoshi’s dad announces over the phone. Wakatoshi laughs.

“Thank you, Dad. Really, that means a lot.”

“Of course. Anything for my only son.” Wakatoshi smiles.

“Okay, I should go now. I left Rin in the sitting room and I don’t know how long he’s going to be able to sit still,” Wakatoshi says.

“Tell Rin his granddad says hello! Bring him over soon, I miss my grandson.”

“Will do,” Wakatoshi smiles. “See you later.”

“See you later! Love you!”

“Love you too, Dad,” Wakatoshi hangs up the phone, then leans over the railing again, tears rolling down his cheeks. But even as tears slip from his eyes, a smile is on his lips. He had been dreading that for years, so for years he had remained in the closet. And when his father and grandmother told him he was arranged to marry Aiko, he felt himself wither a little inside. But he had to keep up with tradition. So, he forced himself even deeper into the closet than he had been, and married Aiko.

Deep down, he knew that neither of them were happy, but he tried his best.

But when Rin came along, and Wakatoshi held his son for the first time, he promised himself that he would make Rin’s life the best he could. He tried his best, but with pro volleyball practice and training, he worried that he was too distant from Rin. So every night, no matter how tired he was, he made sure to play volleyball with his son, just like his dad had with him. And when Rin had been too young to play volleyball, he would read him stories and play with him. He made sure Rin knew that he was loved.

Wakatoshi straightens, wiping the tears from his face and takes a deep breath. He puts his phone back into his pocket, and returns to the sitting room, where Rin is still sitting. Wakatoshi looks at what Rin is building, and identifies it as a house. Outside the house, Rin has stood four blocks up the tall way, a tall black one, a tall red one, a tall blue one, and a short yellow one.

“What are you building?” Wakatoshi says, sitting next to his son. Rin grins at him.

“This is our house!” He points to the house, a square of stacked blocks. “And this is us! That’s you, that ones me, that ones mommy, and this one is Uncle Tendou!” He lifts the tall red block as he says Tendou’s name, showing it to his dad. Wakatoshi almost bursts into tears again. 

“How do you feel about Uncle Tendou and I getting married?” Wakatoshi asks Rin. He wanted his son to be able to share his opinion on the matter, instead of just doing it. Rin thinks for a second.

“Uncle Tendou makes you smile, and that means you’re happy. So if you’re happy, I’m happy!” Rin grins up at his dad. Wakatoshi pulls his son into a tight hug, and against his hardest attempts, a few tears manage to slip out of the corners of his eyes.

“I love you so much, Rin,” he says.

“I love you too!” Rin replies. Wakatoshi holds on for a little longer, then let’s his son go and kisses him on the forehead. He stands and returns to where he had been sitting before the news, and begins to scan strategies and training regiments again. He turns the TV off, he was waiting for no more important news. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big day, and a happy ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello! I am literally in class at school right now but I just finished this chapter and I figured that I'd made you guys wait long enough. So, here y'all go!
> 
> Enjoy! :)
> 
> *Disclaimer, I have never been divorced, so I don’t know what goes on in a divorce court. I tried my best to research but it still left some gaps. So, sorry if anything is super inaccurate! Also divorces in Japan are a bit different from in America, so that may also play a role in the inaccuracies.*
> 
> EDIT: hello! sorry for going AWOL for a bit lmao. I promise that I'm working on chapter four but I decided to go back and revise Usjijima's proposal, so if you want you can read that again (or not, whetever floats your boat!) final chapter will be out soon!

The next few months were a hassle. While both Wakatoshi and Aiko agreed to the divorce willingly, Aiko’s family was being difficult. So, rather than being able to just file for mutual consent divorce, everyone has to go to court. Aiko’s mother wanted her to have full custody of Rin.

Wakatoshi struggles to tie his tie, flipping the fabric this way and that, but not able to tie it correctly.

“Are you sure you don’t need help?” Satori asks from their bed. He was dressed in sweatpants and one of Wakatoshi’s old shirts from high school. 

Wakatoshi sighs. “Maybe, I need a little help.” Satori giggles and stands from the bed. Their bed. Wakatoshi and Rin had moved out of Aiko’s house a few weeks after they filed for divorce, and now they lived in a two-bedroom apartment until they could find something more suitable. Wakatoshi still couldn’t get over the fact that it was their bed. Their apartment. Their life. It felt amazing.

Satori hesitates, giving Wakatoshi’s tie one final tug before setting his hands on his shoulders.

“Do you really want to go through with this?” Satori quietly asks. Wakatoshi frowns.

“Of course. Do you?” 

“Yes! Of course I do! It’s just, you’re throwing away your perfect life for me, and I feel like I’m taking it away,” Satori’s hands tighten on Wakatoshi’s shoulders, and he looks down. Wakatoshi smiles a little. He gently nudges Satori’s head back up so they meet eyes, and gently kisses him.

“I’m not throwing away my ‘perfect’ life, Satori. You make my life perfect. I want to be with you,” Wakatoshi whispers. Satori’s eyes become glossy.

“Wakatoshi-kuuuun, you can’t just say stuff like that! You’ll make my heart jump out of my chest,” Satori says, shifting his arms so they were around Wakatoshi’s neck in a loose hug. 

“What about you? Are you okay with this? You had to leave Paris, and I know that you loved that job,” Wakatoshi asks, frowning once more. Satori smiles.

“I did love that job, but I always wanted to open my own chocolate store. Here, with you,” Satori says. He presses his forehead against Wakatoshi’s own.

“Good luck today,” he whispers. Wakatoshi pulls him into a tight hug.

“I love you,” Wakatoshi whispers.

“I love you too,” Satori whispers back. They kiss one last time, then they break apart.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine here with Rin?” Wakatoshi asks, grabbing his files.

“Yeah, he’s not even up yet. We’ll probably go grocery shopping later today, grab some things for dinner,” Satori says, leaning against the wall of the genkan. Wakatoshi ties his shoes, then stands and places one last kiss on Satori’s lips.

“I’ll see you tonight,” Wakatoshi says.

“See you tonight,” Satori repeats. “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Wakatoshi smiles and opens the door. Once he steps out into the apartment complex hallway, he schools his face into its usual impassive scowl.

He was going to need it today.

  
———

  
When Wakatoshi arrives at the courthouse, he is 45 minutes early. He figured that it would be better to be early than late. He steps through the front door, goes through security, and checks in at the front desk. His lawyer is already waiting for him, and directs him to sit down while they wait for their case to begin. 

Wakatoshi is not a nervous man. Even back in high school, he had never been nervous. But the thought of losing Rin, of losing all he has built up in these past months terrifies him. Yet, he still sits stoically in the hard plastic chair. Wakatoshi is so absorbed in his own thoughts that when his lawyer taps him gently on the shoulder he flinches.

“Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to scare you! It’s our time,” his lawyer smiles at him. Kinoshita Hisashi, one of the best child custody lawyers he could find. Wakatoshi nods and takes a deep breath. He looks across the hall where Aiko and her family were. Wakatoshi had insisted that his own father and grandmother stay home, but apparently Aiko didn’t think the same. 

Or her family had brought themselves along.

He nods in her direction, and she hesitantly nods back. They both just want this over with.

They walk into the courtroom, and everyone files into their seats. The judge is a man in his mid-thirties, with messy black hair and glasses. To Wakatoshi’s disdain, Aiko’s mother sits directly next to her at the front table, along with their lawyer. That isn’t good.

When everyone is settled, the judge begins the court proceedings. 

“Hello everyone, we welcome you into the court on this fine day to settle the divorce of Ushijima Wakatoshi and Watanabe Aiko. I am Takeda Ittetsu, and I will be your judge today. Now, let’s get started, shall we?”

The case was relatively boring, just both Aiko and Wakatoshi answering questions about their divorce.

Everything went downhill when Rin was brought up.

“Generally, custody of the child is granted to the mother, is this true in this case?” Takeda asks.

“Yes.”

“No.” 

Wakatoshi and Aiko’s mother speak at the same time. Wakatoshi glances over at her, and sees her glare at him. Takeda blinks.

“I see. So, Watanabe-san, state your reasons for wanting the child to stay with you,” Takeda says.

Aiko’s mother made her statement, ending with “My poor daughter loves her son so much, and to have a child ripped from a mother’s arms like that, it’s traumatizing!!” Aiko’s mother puts on a good show. Takeda smiles and nods, and Wakatoshi’s heart drops to his stomach. Takeda turns to him and smiles again.

“Now, Ushijima-san. State your reasons for wanting the child to stay with you,” Takeda says. Wakatoshi opens his mouth to speak, but the words get caught in his throat. He glances at his lawyer, words getting lodged in his throat. His lawyer turns to the judge.

“Your honor, would it be okay to take a short recess while my client collects his thoughts?”

“Of course. You have ten minutes,” Takeda smiles. Wakatoshi sags into his chair, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. 

“Sorry,” he says. “I’m not usually this emotional.”

“It’s perfectly normal to be emotional today. Your entire life is changing,” his lawyer says, handing him a bottle of water. Wakatoshi takes it gratefully and drinks half of it. He collects his thoughts, takes a deep breath, and remembers the argument he had prepared. Finishing off his water, he looks at his lawyer.

“Let’s do this.” His lawyer smiles, taking the empty bottle and tossing it into the trash can right next to the desk they were at. They wait out the rest of the recess, making light conversation. When Takeda finally brings the court back into session, he smiles at Wakatoshi.

“Ushijima-san?” He prompts. “Please state your reasons for wanting the child to stay with you.”

Wakatoshi nods and inhales slowly, calming his mind. “Your Honor, I love my son. I make sure he knows he is loved. I have a well paying job, and even though my career keeps me away from home often, I make sure that when I am home I spend as much time with him as possible. We have breakfast together on Sundays, I always make rice and omlettes because I am not the best cook,” Wakatoshi smiles, memories of burnt eggs and shrill fire alarms filling his head. “I taught Rin how to play volleyball and now it’s his favorite thing to do. We play together in the park, and he always complains when it gets dark and we have to leave.” Tears well up in Wakatishi’s eyes, but he keeps going.

“I want Rin to have a good relationship with Aiko, even though we are no longer married. I am fully open to frequent visitation, and I want Aiko to feel free to visit whenever it works for her.” Wakatoshi glances over at Aiko, and their eyes briefly meet. “We do have a chore schedule, and everyone does their fair share in the house,” Wakatoshi looked up at Takeda-san. “Please, I love Rin more than anything.” Takeda nods.

“And you said that your career keeps you away from home from time to time, where does Rin go when you are unable to take care of him?” Takeda asks.

“We live with Tendou Satori, one of my highschool friends. He takes care of Rin while I am away. If Satori isn’t available, then Rin spends time with my father. That rarely happens though.” Wakatoshi replies. Takeda nods again.

“I believe that joint-custody would be the best option for you two. Will this option work?”

Wakatoshi says yes right as Aiko’s mother says no. Takeda blinks and turns to Aiko.

“Why do you say no, Watanabe-san?” Takeda asks. Aiko’s mother is angry, though she hides it well.

“Because I don’t want my grandson living with a homosexual!” She exclaims. The courtroom is silent. Takeda pushes his glasses up on his nose, brows raised.

“I’m sorry?” He says.

“That man is a homosexual and I will not have my grandson living with him! It’s a bad influence,” she bit out. Takeda turns to Wakatoshi and his chest tightens, fearing the worst.

“Is this true, Ushijima-san?”

No use lying now. “Yes, it is true. I wish to divorce Aiko because I cannot love her in the way she deserves to be loved,” Wakatoshi looks at Aiko, whose eyes are wide. She obviously didn’t know her mother would pull that card. Wakatoshi smiles at her, and she looks away.

“I see,” Takeda says, surveying the courtroom. “I believe that joint-custody will be the best option for you two. Any objections?” Wakatoshi freezes, as does everyone else. He had not been expecting that.

“I object!” Aiko’s mother slams her hand down on the table, making Aiko flinch.

“Watanabe-san if you would please calm-”

“How could you allow that abomination to raise a child?” she exclaims angrily. Aiko tugs at her mother’s sleeve.

“Mom please-”

“Enough, Aiko, I am doing what’s best for you,” her mother swats away Aiko’s hands. Takeda frowns.

“Watanabe-san I would like to hear your opinion on the matter,” he says.

“I just gave you my op-”

“Watanabe Aiko’s opinion,” Takeda says cooly. Aiko seems to shrink under everyone’s stares. Suddenly, she bursts into tears.

“I never wanted children. Mom, you knew this! I didn’t want children and I didn’t want this marriage. You always said that it was best for me but did you ever stop and consider what I wanted?” Aiko’s words tumble out, like she had been holding them in for too long. “Wakatoshi I’m so sorry that she called you an abomination, you are a great father for Rin. I’m sorry that I was bitter about you and Satori for so long. You are a better parent than I will ever be, and I want you to have full-custody of Rin. I never wanted any of this. I am so sorry.” The courtroom is silent once again. 

“It’s okay,” Wakatoshi says. Aiko’s eyes find his. “I forgive you.” The sudden bang of a gavel has everyone turning to face Takeda.

“That settles it. Ushijima Wakatoshi will be granted full custody of Ushijima Rin,” Takeda smiles. Wakatoshi’s face breaks in a grin.

“WHAT?” Aiko’s mother shrieks. Everyone ignores her. Wakatoshi pulls his lawyer into a hug.

“Thank you so much, Kinoshita-san,” Wakatoshi says. Kinoshita laughs.

“I didn’t do much, Ushijima-san. You did most of the talking, I just sat and watched.” Wakatoshi pulls away and nods. They exit the courtroom, and are walking down the steps when a shout catches their attention.

“Wakatoshi!” Wakatoshi turns around to see Aiko running down the steps to meet them, heels clicking against the stone.

“Aiko?” he asks. Aiko stops right in front of them, adn pulls a box out of her pocket.

“I wanted to give you this, as an apology for how I acted,” she hands him the box. Wakatoshi opens it and gasps. Inside was a simple golden ring. “It was my grandfather’s.”

“Aiko I can’t take this,” Wakatoshi attempts to hand the box back to her, but she just pushes his hands away. 

“I need you to take it. My mother was just going to sell it anyways. If it needs to be resized, I work at a jewelry store now so just call me, though I tried to estimate as best as I could,” Aiko says. Wakatoshi looks up, surprised. He had never seen her like this before. She looked…

Happy.

Eventually, he nods, placing the box in his pocket. “Thank you, Aiko.” He pulls her into a hug, and they both relax, free from the burden that had been placed upon them. When they separate, Wakatoshi thanks his lawyer one last time, then climbs into a cab, and begins the journey home.

To his family.

  
———

  
The next morning, Wakatoshi wakes up to a warm body pressed against his own, and arms wrapped around his waist. He glances down at Satori, peacefully asleep. His red hair had grown out a little since he had moved back to Japan. Wakatoshi lightly runs his hand over it, enjoying the feeling of the soft strands against his palm. Satori hums and leans into his touch.

“Good morning, Satori,” Wakatoshi says. Satori cracks open an eye, dark red irises glowing in the morning sunlight.

“‘Morning, ‘Toshi,” he says through a yawn. Wakatoshi smiles at his lover’s nickname.

“We should probably get up,” Wakatoshi says.

“Probably.” Neither of them moved. They stayed like that for a few more minutes, before the door to their bedroom slowly opened. Quick footsteps were the only warning they got before a small body was launched on top of them. Wakatoshi groans as Rin knees him in the stomach, Satori laughing lightly.

“Good morning!!” Rin exclaims. “Time to make breakfast!”

“Good morning, Rin,” Satori says. “I’ll make breakfast in a few minutes.”

“No! It's Sunday, Dad has to make breakfast!” Rin says. Wakatoshi sits up, bringing Rin with him.

“On it,” he says getting out of bed. 

“Don’t burn down the kitchen,” Satori mumbles already half asleep again. Wakatoshi presses a light kiss to his head. 

“I’ll try my hardest,” Wakatoshi smiles. Grabbing his hoodie off the bedpost, he carries Rin to the kitchen and sets him down on the counter. He begins to prepare pancakes, straying from his usual rice and omlette. Today was a special day.

“Are you going to do it?” Rin whisper-yells.

“Yes,” Wakatoshi whisper-yells back. Rin grins, and Wakatoshi grins back. Wakatoshi slips his hand into his hoodie pocket, fingers brushing against the box that Aiko had given him. Last night when Wakatoshi was tucking Rin in, he had asked if it was okay to propose to Satori. Rin had been so excited. Wakatoshi removes his hand from his pocket, and begins to put the batter in the hot skillet. When he was flipping his fifth pancake, he felt arms wrap around his waist and a head drop onto his shoulder.

“Good morning again, Satori,” Wakatoshi says, not turning from his task. Rin had long ago jumped off the counter to watch cartoons in the living room. Wakatoshi turns his head to kiss the top of Satori’s head, and Satori quickly raises his head, and Wakatoshi chuckles before kissing him. Turning back to his task, he lifts an only slightly burned pancake onto the plate next to him. Wakatoshi pours the last of the batter into the skillet and sets the bowl in the sink.

“Pancakes? Getting fancy I see,” Satori chuckles. Wakatoshi shrugged, not giving an answer. He cooks the last pancake, then places it on top of the pancake he had just made. He looks down at the three plates on the counter next to him. He hands one to Satori, then calls Rin in from the living room. They all sit at the counter and eat together, joking and laughing. When they finish, Wakatoshi tells Rin to get dressed, and Rin smiles, knowing what’s about to happen. He gives his dad a thumbs up, then runs off to his room. Wakatoshi takes Satori’s plate from him and places it in the sink.

“How gentlemanly of you, ‘Toshi-kun,” Satori says, smiling. Wakatoshi takes a deep breath, then turns back to his boyfriend. He takes Satori's hands in his own, hoping that he didn't notice his hands shaking.

“Satori,” he starts. “I love you. I love you so much and I am so glad that we can be together now. I never was one for words, and I know that you know that,” he chuckles, “So I want to keep this short, but I need to tell you how much I love you. I always knew I loved volleyball, but you were what made it fun Satori,” Satori’s eyes are shining, blown wide in shock. “And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” He gets down on one knee and pulls the box out of his pocket and presents it to his boyfriend. “Tendou Satori, will you do me the honor of making me the happiest man on Earth, and marry me?” He is tackled to the floor, a searing kiss pressed to his lips. He wraps his arms around Satori, melting into the kiss. When they pull apart, the tears in Satori’s eyes are falling.

“You didn’t answer the question,” Wakatoshi says, smiling. Satori laughs.

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes a million times over,” he punctuated each yes with a kiss. Wakatoshi laughs, a full bellied laugh. Still on the kitchen floor, he slides the ring onto Satori’s finger. It fit perfectly. Satori laugh-sobs, looking at the ring and then at Wakatoshi’s eyes. They were the happiest he’d seen them in years.

“Does that mean Uncle Tendou is my other dad now?” they turned to the hallway, where Rin was peeking out from around the corner.

“If you want to call me your dad you can, kiddo,” Satori replies. Rin beams.

“I have the coolest dads in the entire universe!” Rin exclaims, joining them in their hug on the kitchen floor. Satori lets out another sob. Wakatoshi laughs, and presses a kiss to his tear-streaked cheek. 

“Stop, my poor heart can only take so much,” Satori says, pulling Rin in tighter. They giggle and Wakatoshi smiles, taking in his son and fiancé. 

His family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is going to be one more chapter after this, an epilogue (and a wedding ;)) so I hope I can see y'all then!
> 
> Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Soft Ushiten to heal the soul


End file.
